


3AM

by BillieJoeArmstrong



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, heelys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 05:25:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17656754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BillieJoeArmstrong/pseuds/BillieJoeArmstrong
Summary: A silly, short college/university AU because I wanted to distract myself from the angst that's happening in canon.Alex and Michael meet in the library at 3am and it's love at first awkward, sleep-deprived encounter.





	3AM

Alex woke up at exactly 3:06am with his head in his law textbook. Wiping off the puddle of drool that had accumulated on the page, he took in his surroundings. He sat in a small desk in a dark corner of the university library. He must have fallen asleep while studying for his upcoming exam. The library was warm, and Alex’s hall was separate from the campus. A walk back at this time would be cold, dark and long, and he was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Plus, Alex was an overachiever and wanted to keep studying. He rubbed his eyes and looked back down at his page, picking up where he had left off.

But focusing on work wasn't easy when something, no, someONE was gliding back and forth in his peripheral vision. As Alex looked up, the figure disappeared behind a shelf.

“Geez I must be tired,” Alex mumbled to himself, sure he was hallucinating a figure moving so smoothly, without the jolt of taking steps. The lights in the library were dim, and his vision was blurry with sleep, Alex brushed it off as his imagination.

As Alex looked back down, something blurred past his vision again, before disappearing behind another stack of library shelves.

Alex slammed his book closed, unable to get any work done when he was losing his mind. He considered yelling ‘anyone there?’ but thought maybe that would make him look crazy. Not that there was anyone else in this secluded part of the library at 3am. Well, except for the mysterious glider.

Shifting sideways in his seat, Alex picked up the few pens of his that had fallen on the floor while he slept. As he sat back up, Alex’s eyes caught the back of the figure as it disappeared behind another set of shelves, further from Alex than before. It looked like a man, about Alex’s height, with curly hair sticking out from under a backward baseball cap.

Alex grabbed his crutch from where it leaned against his table and stood up slowly. His good leg had gone to sleep, and he took a moment to adjust his stance so he didn’t put too much weight on his prosthetic. He slowly made his way toward the set of shelves which the gliding figure had been travelling between, determined to figure out if he were really crazy or not.

Alex neared the shelf he saw the figure disappear behind and stood to look down the length of it. Unfortunately, his timing was just so that said figure, distracted by a set of flashcards in his hands, was making his way back up the length of the shelf at the exact same time.

The body of the man collided with Alex at a great speed and both fell to the ground, landing in a heap.

“Crap!” The man shouted, tearing headphones from his ears as flashcards rained down on him and Alex. “Shit are you okay?” he asked Alex, voice full of guilt and concern.

“I’m fine… I think.” Alex responded, trying to pull himself up but struggling, tangled in an uncomfortable position. His crutch had fallen out of his reach, and his prosthetic was twisted sideways on his leg and trapped under the other guys knee.

“Geez. I am so, so sorry.” The other guy said genuinely. He lifted himself off the ground, then offered a hand out to Alex. “I’m Michael, by the way.”

“Alex.” Alex replied, taking the guys hand, but taking a moment to right himself before he could stand up. From his place on the ground, he could see why Michael looked like he was gliding around on the library floor. “Are those…. Heelys?”

Michael laughed, “yeah, they are. I got them for my birthday from my brother, Max. He thought they would be a laugh,” he said, scratching his neck with his free hand, “but I like to pace when I’m thinking, and going back and forth in these is like, the same but more fun,” he explained.

Alex laughed quietly and smiled at Michael, “what had you so deep in thought at 3am, though?” Alex asked. He assumed it was the same as what he had been doing himself, revising for upcoming exams, but wanted to make conversation.

“Studying.” Michael gestured to the flashcards scattered over the floor, "I like how peaceful it is in the library this early."

“Me too,” Alex responded, “what’s your major?”

“Physics,” Michael answered with a sense of pride, “but I was studying for biology – one of my minors. What about you?”

“I do law,” Alex smiled “but I minor in music, much to my parents’ despair.”

That made Michael laugh loudly. Alex thought the sound was beautiful.

“Tell me about it.” Michael grinned, “I had to fight my foster parents for this degree. I want to work for NASA. They want me to work for the family business.”

“My dad wanted me to join the military, like him and my brothers. But after a car accident when I was younger well…” Alex gestured to his prosthetic leg with his free hand, then blushed, realising his other hand was still in Michael’s. He pulled himself up, having righted his prosthetic, but then noticed his crutch was still several feet away on the ground. “Hey, uh, can you grab that for me, please?” He asked, pointing at his crutch and holding Michael’s hand for balanced. Usually he’d be able to stand on his own, but he was still tired and a little dizzy from the fall. Plus, though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, Alex wanted to keep holding Michael’s hand as long as he could.

“Oh, sure.” Michael awkwardly thought about the situation for a moment, “how about, uh, we go over here.” He lead himself and Alex to a sturdy library shelf and let Alex lean on that while he retrieved the crutch. Handing it to Alex, he silently wished he could find another excuse to hold Alex’s hand. He suddenly had an idea; “Hey, you wanna try them?” Michael asked.

Alex looked confused, “try what?”

“The heelys.” Michael explained.

Alex blinked and stared blankly. “No,” he answered simply.

Michael looked hurt for a second, wondering why Alex denied his offer so blankly. He stared at the other man for a moment. The other man, who was leaning heavily on a crutch for balance. Michael slapped his palm to his face. “Jesus I am so stupid. I’m so, so,  _so_ sorry,” he apologised for the second time that night.

Alex couldn’t keep a straight face and burst out laughing loudly. Michael looked embarrassed at first, but soon joined in with a soft snicker. Alex’s laugh was infectious and adorable.

“Dude, no worries,” Alex shrugged, “it’s 3am. I just spent the last half hour drooling on my textbook, and then woke up and thought I was hallucinating some dude gliding between the shelves. I think we’re both a little too tired to be thinking straight.”

“Don’t assume I’d ever do anything straight.” Michael joked, and the laughter between the two grew.

“Wow. You’re cute, gay, and wear heelys. I’ve found my perfect man.” Alex said, pretending to swoon dramatically.

The two men continued joking around for a little longer, before Michael spoke up. “Alright. We’re getting stupid. Maybe we _should_ go to bed,” he paused awkwardly, laughter stopping, “not together…. Obviously.”

“Right.” Alex replied, clearing his throat. Maybe it was the fact that it was 3am and he was sleep deprived, but a sudden burst of confidence prompted him to mumble,“unless…. You want to?”

Michael smiled, making eye contact with Alex and knowing he was being serious. “Hmm, how about dinner first?” he asked, “and by dinner, I mean, we stop at the vending machine on the way back to my hall for past-midnight snacks.”

Alex grinned, “sounds lovely. Let me grab my stuff and we'll go.”

After Alex packed up his books and notes, and Michael picked up his scattered flashcards, the two men limped-and-heely’d hand-in-hand out of the library.

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd. If the characters seem OOC it's because A. We barely know anything about them after three episodes, and B. this is a super happy AU with minimal angst and trauma. Yay!!!  
> Also I've no experience with physical disability so if I've described anything inaccurately please help me learn how to do better.  
> I do however have plenty of experience with falling over in heelys... So this is a little bit based on that lol.
> 
> Find me at aliencowboys.tumblr.com


End file.
